Barcelona have confirmed on their official website that Luis Suarez would miss the rest of this campaign after he underwent knee surgery. The Catalans have revealed that the striker is expected to be sidelined for four months (via fcbarcelona.com).
This recent development will be a bitter pill to swallow for the La Liga giants as they do not have an out and out centre-forward in their squad. Both Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann can play as a false nine striker, but they are far more comfortable playing in the wide positions.
Suarez’s Fruitful Season At Catalonia Pre-Injury
Before his injury, Suarez was enjoying another productive season at the Nou Camp as he put in numerous goal-scoring performances for the Catalan giants which helped them maintain their place at the top of the La Liga standings. The Uruguay international registered 14 goals and 11 assists in 23 matches for Ernesto Valverde’s side this term across all competitions. He was averaging 3.3 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game for both club and country prior to his knee injury (stats via whoscored).
The ex-Liverpool marksman has also got a wealth of experience at the international level, having represented Uruguay in 113 matches while scoring 59 goals for his country thus far.
What Does The Uruguay International Offer On The Pitch?
Suarez is a natural goal-scorer whose hunger for goals is second to none. He loves to cause a lot of headaches for the opposition defenders and can still be a menace to deal with in the final third. The Uruguayan legend uses his experience and maturity to take up some dangerous positions up top. He can also be an ideal link-up man for the likes of Messi and Griezmann, which makes Barca tick offensively.
Losing Suarez For Four Months: Massive Blow For The La Liga Leaders?
Losing his services for the rest of this campaign will be a huge blow for Valverde and his fight to save his job at the Nou Camp. The pressure to deliver results keeps on mounting on the Barcelona head coach’s shoulders and so he has to find a way to fill the void left by the striker’s unavailability in the coming months.
Valverde could either delve into the transfer market in search of a new forward or promote someone from his squad to lead the charge up top.
